FG Launches Digital App to Boost Primary Healthcare Services

The Federal Government has unveiled the Automated National Standing Orders (NSOs) Mobile Application, a digital innovation designed to enhance primary healthcare delivery across Nigeria. The tool will provide Community Health Practitioners (CHPs) with real-time decision support and uniform care protocols to improve service quality.

At the launch event in Abuja, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, described the initiative as “a celebration of vision, excellence, and the relentless drive to build a stronger, more equitable primary healthcare system for our nation.”

Developed by the Community Health Practitioners Registration Board of Nigeria (CHPRBN) in partnership with the Health Information System Agency (HISA), the app represents a major milestone in Nigeria’s healthcare digitisation efforts.

According to Salako, the project aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which promotes technology-driven reforms under his role as the African Union Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery Partnership.

“Digitisation empowers our health professionals with the right tools for evidence-based care and strengthens primary health care as the foundation for achieving universal health coverage,” the minister said. “This launch proves how innovation, regulation, and collaboration can work together to transform lives.”

He described the National Standing Orders (NSOs) as a key policy framework guiding CHPs in providing standardised clinical care, adding that automating it into a mobile platform transforms it from a static document into a dynamic decision-support system.

“This innovation will improve diagnostic accuracy, treatment speed, and accountability through data audit trails. It will also promote continuous learning and ultimately save lives, especially in underserved communities,” he explained.

Salako commended CHPRBN’s Registrar and CEO, Dr. Bashir Idris, for steering the board’s digital transformation — from paper-based systems to digital examinations and automated professional development.

He also thanked HISA for its technical and policy support, describing the collaboration as a “model of inter-agency synergy driving innovation in healthcare.”

The minister announced that the app will be free for all registered CHPs but will become mandatory within 24 months. “By 2027, all CHPs must have fully transitioned from analogue to digital standing orders,” he stated.

He urged CHPs nationwide to embrace the new tool with professionalism and dedication, noting that “technology alone cannot transform systems — people’s commitment and competence are what make it work.”

Declaring the app officially launched, Salako said, “It is an honour to unveil the CHPRBN Automated National Standing Orders Mobile Application — a landmark achievement in digital healthcare and a testament to Nigeria’s commitment to innovation and excellence in primary health care.”